In the business environment and in the personal environment, there is an increasing drive to improve efficiency and productivity while handling an ever-increasing volume of communication and flow of information. One example of this is the management of tasks through the use and organization of a todo list. In at least one reference, it is recommended that tasks be inserted onto a personal calendar and associated with a context.
While a list of tasks to be performed on a personal calendar and organizing tasks by context may enhance productivity, the time overhead required to access the personal calendar, enter the appropriate communication client, collaborate with a contact, and update the personal calendar may offset the efficiency gains. Also, when out of the office, a communication client user might have his/her communication client (e.g., a cell phone or IM client), but not his/her personal calendar, which may be resident in a desktop computer in his/her office.
When a communication client user looks at his/her communication client, an extensive list of contacts is presented, from which it is difficult to determine at a glance whom it would be useful to contact. Contacts with whom there is no need to collaborate are given equal prominence with contacts with whom it would be useful to communicate. For example, one might keep a running list of items to discuss with his/her manager when the opportunity occurs to communicate with the manager. However, if one finds himself/herself with a few minutes before a meeting while using a communication client, it is not easy to determine that he/she has discussion points for the manager, let alone what those discussion points are.